Mark Herron
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| Mark Herron | |
|---|---|
| Born | Truman Herron July 8, 1928 Baxter, Tennessee |
| Died | January 13, 1996 (aged 67) Los Angeles, California |
| Spouse(s) | Judy Garland (1965-1969) |
Mark Herron (1928 – 1996) was an American actor best known as the fourth husband of singer and actress Judy Garland. He appeared in films such as Federico Fellini's 8½ and Eye of the Cat.
Fans of the cable TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 may recall his performance in the film Girl in Gold Boots, in which he portrayed the greasy nightclub owner Leo McCabe.
Gerald Clarke, in his biography of Garland, Get Happy (2000) and in an interview about the book, reported that Herron had an affair with Tallulah Bankhead prior to meeting Garland. Biographies of Garland by David Shipman and Garland's daughter Lorna Luft -- Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir (1998) -- categorically state that Herron was gay.
Prior to his relationship and marriage to Garland, Herron lived with his lover Henry Brandon, a German-born actor several years Herron's senior. Brandon is best known for his portrayal of "Acacius Page" in the film Auntie Mame. After the dissolution of the Garland-Herron marriage, Herron returned to live with Brandon until Brandon's death in 1990.
Garland put Herron to work as producer of her two London Palladium concerts with her daughter Liza Minnelli in 1964 as well as some personal appearances in Canada in 1965.
Garland's divorce deposition claimed that her marriage to Herron had not been consummated, although the troubled singer had been known to be less than forthright on occasion. Aside from providing biographer Gerold Frank information for his biography titled Judy (1975), Herron remained silent on the topic of Garland. He continued acting, often appearing in summer stock productions.
Herron died of cancer in 1996, aged 67.
